


It's Always Tea-Time

by dragonwings948



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Bonding, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Food, Friendship, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Tea, Team Fluff, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26901487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948
Summary: When C'rizz is feeling a little out of sorts in a new universe, Charley knows the perfect remedy: tea.
Relationships: Eighth Doctor & Charley Pollard & C'rizz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	It's Always Tea-Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bravest_person_in_Wonderland](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravest_person_in_Wonderland/gifts).



> HAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY! I know how much you love C'rizz and Charley's friendship (and how many times we've talked about C'rizz and tea), so I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> P.S. The title is from Alice in Wonderland 😉

C’rizz stared at the ceiling, his mind full of everything and nothing at the same time.

Everything, because there were so many voices in his head trying to tell him what to do. Nothing, because he was trying to block them out and get a moment of peace…but it was not to be.

Because he was in a different universe. A completely, entirely new _universe._ Before he met the Doctor and Charley, he wouldn’t have even thought it possible. And now here he was, so far away from home that he could never get back.

He couldn’t quite say that he missed it. Maybe what he did miss was the familiar: knowing the rules, understanding his universe. This universe had different laws. And if the Daleks were anything to go by, he wasn’t sure he liked the kind of people that were in this universe.

All in all, if there was a word for how he felt, it was probably _lost._

“C’rizz?” Accompanying Charley’s voice was a light tap on his door.

He sat up and brushed down his wrinkled clothes, though it didn’t really do much to help.“Come in,” he called, pushing himself to the edge of his bed and letting his legs dangle off the side.

The door creaked slightly as Charley opened it. She entered with a bright smile, but then frowned at the dim room. “Were you sleeping again? Really, C’rizz, is that all you do when we’re in the TARDIS?”

C’rizz huffed and rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the light streaming in from the corridor. “We do end up in quite a lot of bad situations when we’re _outside_ the TARDIS. This is the only time I can really catch up on sleep.”

Concern touched Charley’s expression. She patted the space next to him and raised her eyebrows, silently asking permission. C’rizz waved for her to go ahead and Charley hauled herself up beside him on the edge of his bed. She clasped her hands together in her lap. “Are you sure it’s not because…well, what I wanted to ask was if…”

C’rizz waited patiently, wondering about the words she was struggling with.

Finally, Charley looked straight into his eyes. “Are you all right?”

C’rizz blinked, surprised by the powerful look of concern on her face. “Of course I’m all right.”

Charley looked down again, tapping her fingers idly on her knees. “It’s only…you’ve been in your room for days after what happened with the Daleks. The Doctor says that you just need some time to recover, that you’re adjusting to a new universe, but I’m…worried about you.” She sighed as the last words left her mouth, as if they were the ones she’d been looking for all along.

C’rizz couldn’t quite wrap his head around Charley’s compassion. Even besides the fact that they’d so recently been at complete odds with each other just before they’d reached this universe, he couldn’t understand how she cared about him so much.

“You don’t need to worry about me, Charlotte.”

Her gaze narrowed, though he couldn’t tell if it was because he refused to call her Charley yet again or because he had avoided telling her anything of his feelings. “That’s not a very good reply, you know.”

“What do you want me to say? I told you I’m all right.”

Charley huffed. “But you don’t _look_ all right.”

C’rizz tried to grasp what she was getting at. First she was concerned for him, now she was getting angry? “Why do you need to know so badly?”

“Because I’m your friend!” Her cheeks reddened with irritation. “I want to help you, but I can’t do anything if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

The force of her words struck C’rizz. He’d seen Charley get flustered when she felt strongly about something; and to think, she felt that strongly about _him._

He hung his head and sighed. “I’m sorry, Charlotte, er…Charley.” He swallowed. “I’m not used to people actually…caring.”

Charley’s hand covered his. C’rizz looked up and saw that her expression had softened once more. “Well, I do. And so does the Doctor, but he’s just not as good at showing it.” She slid off the bed, wrapping her fingers around his. “Come on.”

She didn’t seem like she had any intention of letting him take his time, so C’rizz hurriedly followed her pull before she tugged him straight off the bed. “Where are we going?”

“The kitchen!” She cast a smile at him as he caught up by her side. “I know just what you need.”

He gently slipped his hand out of her grasp. “And what do I need?”

“Tea, of course.”

C’rizz frowned. Of course he had heard the Doctor talk about tea, but what would a drink do to help him? “Tea? Now you’re starting to sound like the Doctor.”

Charley chuckled. “All I know is that when I’m feeling down, tea seems to help make everything a bit brighter.”

C’rizz still found himself sceptical that a simple drink could do so much, but he decided to humour Charley. He followed her into the kitchen where she took what she called a “kettle” and filled it with water.

“What is this drink, exactly?” C’rizz asked, watching as she set the kettle on the hob. “Is it symbolic for humans? The Doctor talks about it all the time.”

Charley froze, as if suddenly realising something, and turned back to face him with wide eyes. “That’s right, I didn’t even think about it. You don’t have tea in your universe.” She let out an incredulous laugh as she turned on the heat under the kettle. “It’s not… _symbolic,_ necessarily, but we drink it quite a bit where I’m from.”

“And the Doctor adopted the custom as well?” Finding he had nothing to do, C’rizz had a seat at the small wooden table in the kitchen. He rested his chin in his hand and watched Charley. “I’ve always been a bit confused by that. The Doctor isn’t human, but he acts like he is.”

Charley took a seat across from him. Her face lit up as she talked about the Doctor. “Earth is his favourite place. He doesn’t exactly get along with most of his own people.”

C’rizz hadn’t gleaned much about the Doctor’s past, but now that he considered how the Doctor acted… He nodded, understanding completely. “That’s why he runs.”

Charley frowned. “What?”

“It sounds like the Doctor is just like me in that respect. I had to run from my people, too. Since then, I’ve been trying to find where I belong.”

“You belong _here,”_ Charley said softly, “with us.”

There it was again, that impossible care. How did she trust him so much? How did she _love_ him so much? If she knew everything he’d done… He looked away from her, unable to hold her gaze.

“C’rizz—”

But just then there was an earsplitting sound like a whistle. C’rizz jumped, nearly knocking over his chair, and gripped the edge of the table. “Is that an alarm? Are we under attack?”

“It’s all right!” Charley stood to her feet and rushed over to pick up the kettle. The sound quickly dwindled down to nothing. “The water’s just boiled.”

He rubbed his ears. “Why does it have to be so _loud?”_

“So you can hear it from a long way away,” Charley explained, seeming completely unaffected. C’rizz supposed she was used to it. What a strange universe this was…

Charley set a steaming mug down in front of him. There was something floating inside of it attached to a string, making the water turn a light shade of brown that was ever darkening. He sniffed the steam and caught a whiff of an interesting mix of spices. He tugged on the floating thing and pulled it out, letting it drip into the mug. It simply looked like a blob of goo inside some sort of paper.

“What exactly is in this?” he asked, sinking the thing back in the mug.

“Plant leaves.”

He tried to picture it. “So…you take plant leaves, let them sit in boiling water, and then drink it?”

“Well, yes…but it’s very good! And you usually add milk and sugar.”

C’rizz blinked. “Milk?”

Charley sighed, slumping her shoulders. “Oh dear.” She bit her lip. “It’s a sort of liquid…something you drink. It comes from a cow.”

Liquid…from a cow?

Charley let out an exasperated huff. “It’s perfect in tea, just trust me.”

C’rizz glanced down at the water in his mug, which was now a dark brown. “If you’re sure.”

“It’ll help it cool down faster, too.” Charley got up and went to a large metal box in the corner—the refrigerator, he remembered her calling it—and pulled out a half-empty bottle of white liquid that C’rizz supposed was milk. She then approached the cupboard, muttering about sugar, but was still empty-handed after what looked like a thorough search.

“I thought I could smell tea brewing.”

C’rizz spun at the sound of the Doctor’s voice. He strolled into the kitchen with an easy smile, an eager look coming into his eyes as he spied the mugs of tea on the table.

“Doctor!” Charley exclaimed, turning to face him with her hands on her hips. “What have you done with the sugar?”

“Me? Nothing.” He had his own look through the cupboard. “Sometimes the Old Girl likes to hide it from me.”

“I wonder why,” C’rizz muttered. The Doctor seemed to be hyped on sugar even when he was at his calmest. Louder, he added: “Charlotte says we need it for our tea.”

The Doctor turned toward him with his eyebrows raised. “Well yes, of course you do. Can’t stand a plain old cup of tea myself.” He paused, his lips dipping into a quizzical frown. “Won’t this be your first time trying it?” He suddenly grinned. “Imagine, someone who’s never tasted tea before!”

“I must say I’m…” C’rizz looked down at his mug again. “Sceptical.”

“No need to be.” He paused, struck by a thought. “Wait a moment.” He strode directly toward C’rizz and sniffed at his mug. “Charley,” he asked, turning around, “have you let C’rizz’s tea get bitter?”

“Well I _was_ trying to find the sugar, if you’ll remember,” she replied.

The Doctor rejoined her and reached his arm all the way into the cupboard. “Aha!” He set a bottle down on the counter. “Honey! That will do.”

C’rizz wasn’t sure if he wanted to voice his curiosity after hearing of leaf water and cow juice, but he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s honey?”

“It’s sweet,” Charley said, bringing the milk and honey over to the table. “Just like sugar, only with a slightly different taste.” She took the floating bag out of his mug, then squeezed some honey in and stirred it around. Finally, she poured in a splash of milk and the concoction settled to a much warmer colour.

The Doctor took the third seat at the table, stirring his own mug of tea. As Charley sat back down, they both stared at C’rizz, waiting.

C’rizz picked up his mug and sniffed again. The scent was a little sweeter and not as powerful as it had been before. The mug warmed his hands, sending an altogether pleasant feeling through his body. Maybe Charley had been right; perhaps there was something to this tea.

He took a small sip. A bold flavour filled his mouth, something unlike he’d ever tasted before, accompanied with hints of sweetness. And then, at the very end, there was just a slight bitterness. Altogether, it was something brand new, and, he had to admit…very satisfying.

“It’s rather good,” he said. He took another sip and then lowered his mug, smiling at Charley. “Just a little bitter.”

Charley rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she smiled widely before taking a sip of her own tea.

The Doctor gave Charley an “I told you so” sort of look before turning back to C’rizz. “Look at you, C’rizz, adapting to this universe already. In fact, I think you rather belong here. Don’t you?”

Charley’s eyes met his. He considered how when he was with the Doctor and Charley, the voices in his head weren’t so loud. He didn’t have to think about his past, only his future. A future that, more and more, he couldn’t quite picture without them.

C’rizz smiled down at his mug, tapping his fingers against it gently. “Yes. I think I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> I cannot for the life of me find the original post, but full credit for "leaf water" and "cow juice" goes to [one of johannesviii's amazing drawings](https://johannesviii.tumblr.com)!


End file.
